P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Nicolo Bulega says he’s “happy and a little nervous” ahead of his MotoGP debut at Portimao, replacing injured champion Marc Marquez in the factory Ducati team.
“Nicolo Bulega, the World Superbike title runner-up, expresses his mixed emotions of happiness and nervousness as he prepares for his highly anticipated MotoGP debut at Portimao this weekend. Despite his commitment to WorldSBK for 2026, Bulega has been given the opportunity to replace the injured champion Marc Marquez in the factory Ducati team for the final two rounds and is considered a frontrunner for a Desmosedici race seat in 2027. During a private test at Jerez, Bulega got his first taste of the current Ducati GP25. He aims to enjoy the moment, work well with the team, and gain confidence with the Desmosedici GP without setting specific result expectations, especially on a unique and challenging track like Portimao. Toprak Razgatlioglu, the newly crowned triple WorldSBK champion, hopes Bulega can perform well and fight for a top 10 position on his MotoGP debut, acknowledging the strength of both Bulega and the Ducati bike on the Portimao circuit.”
